This is something that has almost seeped into the game without anybody noticing. Watch the US Open this week and one over-riding image is the number of players who will wear grey. It's become the go-to colour and players are sticking to it like glue.

 

In our opinion, grey has become big because we’re scared of colour. Many years ago, we ran a large manufacturing company supplying high street brands, making their men’s polo and golf shirts. This was at the time of the technology discovery that polyester wicked sweat. This resulted in the 'new' messaging to the man on the high street that this technology was so fantastic so they could just do blue, black and grey and not worry about any other colours.

 

Then that technology came into sports and it allows people to avoid being creative. But you have to wonder, who wants quite so much grey in their wardrobe? People will often buy something because of a label and that label speaks on their behalf and the item must be cool because of the brand. The grey allows them to do that, it’s passive and inoffensive. In our mind it lacks spirit and commitment, sport is about passion and winning and you don’t see many Premier League winners in grey. How many Formula 1 teams do we see in grey as opposed to the more striking shades? What colour are Ferrari? Grey isn't a winning colour and colours are chosen for a reason – you only have to look at Tiger’s Sunday red for proof of that.

 

Another factor to consider is that you have to take into account a company's scale. They might be making half a million lime green shirts and what do you do with then if it doesn’t work? But if you have a grey shirt with a lime green stripe then that might work and people will be more confident with it.

 

But the bottom line is that we don't think that it helps the game. Think back to the amazing colours of the 70s and how exciting and cool it made golf look. As spectators, players appear to be characters and interesting because of how they are dressed – that can't be said today. These days, plenty still have a perception of golf as being an old man's sport and we have everyone still playing in 50 shades of grey.